Beyond the terrible physical, emotional and financial toll the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked, it will also be marked as a time of transformation and change. It forced us to confront new ways of working at unprecedented speed, a feat made possible through perseverance and, importantly, collaboration. This is at the heart of the Association of Dental Hospitals (ADH), and as we look towards recovery from the pandemic, it will be collaboration that will continue to help us navigate the post-COVID landscape.
Bringing people together
The ADH represents the voices of dental hospitals across the UK and Ireland. Our membership consists of dental hospitals and academic clinical facilities which provide dental services and have a significant commitment to training the next generation of dentists. Initially, the need for a forum for dental hospitals was driven by the fact that our institutions had grown substantially with unique challenges separate from the wider hospital trust. The ADH provides a space for dental hospitals to share experience and best practice and determine national positions on issues affecting dental education and research. However, with the onset of the pandemic, it was highlighted just how important this collaborative network is. Through the ADH, dental hospitals were able to maintain a direct communication channel. This allowed discussions and sharing of ideas which facilitated the continuation of clinical training during the pandemic and supported dental hospitals as they worked to maintain vital services. Engagement expanded to key stakeholders such as dental schools and leaders in health and education, resulting in the development of guidance supporting safe patient care and a safe return of students to clinical settings.
Turning lessons into innovation
Resuming safe dental services during a pandemic was no simple task and colleagues across the sector should be lauded for their herculean effort. Responding to the pandemic relied on innovation such as training staff on the use of specialised PPE and equipment reducing aerosol splatter, gathering evidence to update the principles of aerosol generating procedures and using new virtual reality simulation technologies which aided student learning in remote environments. It is important that we continue to use the lessons of the pandemic to drive innovation in dental care, particularly as our focus moves to addressing the major repercussions of COVID-19 on dental services. NHS England is pressing for dental hospitals to find ways to optimise activity that will improve the patient experience and reduce waiting times for treatment. Dental hospitals are already making headway with 70-85% of services returning to pre-COVID-19 levels, using innovations developed during the pandemic to help achieve this. The government has outlined that the future of twenty-first century healthcare relies on an integration of services, with shared outcomes and a shared mission. Through the ADH, dental hospitals have already built a foundation for closer working and as the NHS looks to meet the future health and social care needs of the nation, the ADH is eager to work with stakeholders to help accomplish this goal.
Training the dentists of tomorrow
The future is of course heavily determined by how we train the dentists of tomorrow. The pandemic had drastically disrupted learning and dental hospitals are working with dental schools to ensure undergraduate dental students are able to catch up on missed clinical exposure, particularly oral surgery placements. Further support is needed in postgraduate training to ensure foundation and specialty trainees are supported after such major disruption to their career progression. This means working with leaders in education and training to improve workforce planning, and improve and increase access to postgraduate training posts, both core and specialist, which will help enhance the skills of the future dental workforce and ultimately improve patient experiences.
Levelling up
When considering any improvements to services, it is paramount that we are inclusive and do so in a joined-up way. This will be key to levelling up access to dental care across the country, especially as COVID-19 has exasperated existing inequalities. The ADH is acutely aware of the need for a four-nation approach to tackling the challenges in dental care. We also need to work within our communities in partnership with colleagues in primary care to better understand patient needs, collaborate on quality and improvement, and reduce the need for deferrals.
In England, which is experiencing major changes to the delivery of health services, it is vital that dental hospitals are considered key stakeholders within their local integrated care systems (ICSs). Through its existing collaborative networks, the ADH is able to support coordination between ICS leads and their local dental hospital. The demands of the last two years will influence our ways of working and delivery of dental treatment for years to come. As the BDJ celebrates its 150th anniversary, it reminds us that successful progress is linked to the spirit of collaboration - something that is fundamental to the ADH. Dental hospitals want to help shape what that means for dentistry, and we look forward to working with colleagues to drive patient outcomes and improve the delivery of oral healthcare.